DEAR DR. FOX: I hope you can help us. We have a 2-year-old female cat, Joy, who we adopted with her brother, Charlie, from the Naples Humane Society a year ago.

Joy has developed an allergy this spring. It started as a raised bump. Within two days, it turned into open sores; in fact, she had two sores above her eye. They got nasty looking very fast, so the next day we took her to the vet. Joy was diagnosed with an allergy called eosinophilic plaque, also called granuloma.

The vet gave Joy Depo-Medrol and Convenia. We were told this could be an ongoing problem and that it does show up at around 2 years of age. It took more than a week for her to heal.

A few weeks ago, Joy had a very large spot in front of her ear. We waited a day, and it got worse. We went to the vet again, and Joy got the same treatment. She had some tiny spots on her other ear. Luckily, she's healing quickly.

A few days ago, another bump showed up in the same area. It has not yet turned into a nasty sore, but there is another appearing on the other side, so we are watching it. These sores came up just a few weeks after the last ones, and I am concerned about the frequent use of steroids. The vet tells us there is no cure, and Joy has to be treated this way.

Is there a way to find out the cause of the allergy, and is there a cure for her? We think we could start with food. What about the laundry soap I use on their towels? The cats do go outside -- we have a screened-in patio. -- R.J.F. & E.J.M., Naples, Florida

DEAR R.J.F. & E.J.M: Your letter is one of the few I receive that makes me feel that the attending veterinarian may be off the mark. Fortunately, you included your phone number, so I could telephone you. As I suspected, on your screened-in patio, where your cats are allowed, mosquitoes often bite you. These kinds of lesions in cats (eosinophilic granulomas) can have a complex etiology, but the first consideration is biting insects that the attending veterinarian did not even question.

When I spoke to the letter writers, R.J.F.'s response was, "They did not seem interested in any investigation, just gave the medication." E.J.M. said, "They only treated the symptoms and not the cause."

I surely hope that other veterinarians in your area are not following this treatment protocol and are adding essential preventive measures to keep biting insects -- which can spread heartworm, West Nile and other diseases as well as trigger allergic reactions in animals -- away from companion animals.

Your patio must be made as insect-proof as possible; use one or more fans (which most cats love), and try a safe eucalyptus or lemon eucalyptus hydrosol on your cat's fur to repel these insects. In an emergency, soak a sliced lemon, peel and all, in 2 cups of boiling water; mash it up, strain and use a dab on your cat's ears, neck and back when the insects are out most -- usually early evening. Store the lemon extract in the fridge. Stop the cats from grooming each other and grooming themselves as best you can, since the extract may cause salivation and mild oral irritation. Applying topical antihistamine cream to any bites and adding anti-inflammatory fish oil to their diet on a daily basis may also provide relief.

DEAR DR. FOX: My male cat is 11 years old. He has lost 2 pounds since May. I took him to the vet to get his nails clipped, and after a blood test, his blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level was 48 instead of the normal 14 to 36. His cholesterol was 260 instead of 75 to 220. His platelet count was 181 instead of 200 to 500.

I was told his kidney needed less stress from his food. The vet advised Purina Pro Plan Veterinary Diets NF Kidney Function canned food. My cat loves tuna or salmon canned food. This food is made with chicken, and he won't touch it. I tried blending it with tuna, but he won't eat that either.

To give me more years with him, I need to make or find the cat food that's best for him. Is dry cat food good for him? -- P.S., St. Louis

DEAR P.S.: When a cat refuses to eat, even for a few hours, I consider it an emergency requiring immediate veterinary consultation because of the risk of developing sudden-onset fatty liver disease. Your veterinarian should address this issue and should be able to provide recipes for home preparation according to your cat's special needs.

Alternatively, your veterinarian, if unfamiliar with the veterinary nutrition specialists and special diet formulating company Balance IT, should contact them at 1-888-346-6362 and visit secure.balanceit.com.

Many cats and dogs have difficulty accepting the manufactured special prescription diets. And some of those diets are of dubious value.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a serious problem with my beautiful white poodle. He rubs his eyes on the carpet, his bed and the sofa, and he squeals in pain. I have taken him to the vet many times, and he was put on Hills Prescription Diet salmon dry food. He's also been put on antibiotics, and I give him small amounts of Benadryl -- all to no avail. His eyelids are raw. He has had lashes surgically removed three times. I do not know what to do for him. I daub cotton pads with cool water around his eyes daily to help contain bacteria. -- B.L., Naples, Florida

DEAR B.L.: Your dog's condition is very distressing for both of you, and I urge you to seek a second opinion from a veterinary ophthalmologist without delay. Putting water around his eyes could make matters worse. Removing an eyelash or two can give relief, but they can grow back, and when the problem is entropion (turning-in of the eyelids), corrective surgery is the only solution. Certainly, the inflammation and possible eye infection of the eyelids must also be addressed. My concern is that a dry eye condition and ulceration of the cornea may develop, which could ultimately lead to loss of vision.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.net.)

DEAR DR. FOX: My 10-year-old female cat, Bunny, brings me toys during the night. She collects them one at a time from the living room and carries them upstairs to the bedroom, crying while she does this. She then drops them in various places -- next to the bed, in the hall, in the guest room. I almost always wake up because she is loud, and I thank her for the gift and give her a small treat. Some nights she will do this up to four times. -- D.P., Fort Myers, Florida

DEAR DR. FOX: My Siamese cat, Zeus, likes to jump on my bent-over back, spread out and nuzzle my neck while I reach around to pet him.

Indoors, he telegraphs that he wants to jump up, so I assume the position; outside, he leaps out of the bushes as I bend over a plant and lands on me like Hobbes (of "Calvin and Hobbes"). It's great, though he's likely to topple me one of these days. -- N.S., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR N.S.: My first Siamese cat, Igor, taught me this very same game, leaping on my back and ambushing me in the woods on walks together.

DEAR DR. FOX: You asked for input regarding how our animals display affection, so I thought I'd tell you about Jeanie, our border collie-Pyrenees mix, whom we adopted four years ago when she was a puppy.

Her behavior with human friends impresses me, probably since our previous dog, a husky, was not nearly so demonstrative to people outside the family -- he was courteous and accepted attention from one and all, but didn't seek it.

Jeanie has definite favorites among the friends who come to visit: She can hear their cars coming nearly a block away, and waits by the door, sometimes even letting herself out (she knows how to work the screen door handle), to greet them. She then "sings" to them with little whining sounds, and stands wagging her tail, waiting to be petted, which always happens.

I'd say there are about four or five nonresident people she treats in this manner. The family all receives this treatment when they come back from errands, too. Everyone else, if she knows them, gets a tail-wag and a grin; if they are strangers, she barks until I ask her to be quiet.

She recognizes the neighbors' cars when they come and go, and mostly she ignores them; but if new cars or delivery trucks appear, she barks. Considering her sheepdog heritage, we have joked that some of us are in her "flock," and others are potential "wolves" until reassured to the contrary.

Is this way of distinguishing between humans common to dogs of her type, or is it just Jeanie's personal style? -- J.S., St. Louis

DEAR J.S.: Yes, Jeanie as a protector-dog has the intelligence to recognize strangers and the unfamiliar from familiar; same with vehicles.

Our dog, Tanza, a village dog from Tanzania my wife and I brought home after working there, would quickly learn friends and neighbors from strangers, to whom she would give warning growls to alert us as much as to threaten them. Same with an unfamiliar car parked on our street. But she never bit anyone, and when given the OK with any visitor, she would sniff them, greet them and settle down.

So much as animals are showing us affection, they are also seeking our attention, and to not pay attention means we miss out on what love can really offer when the bond of affection between species is not realized.

STELLA & CHEWY'S PET FOOD RECALL

The Maryland Department of Agriculture issued a stop-sale order on Stella and Chewy's freeze-dried chicken patties dog food, which has tested positive for listeria monocytogenes. Be sure to visit the company's website for the latest details about the recall: stellaandchewys.com/stella-chewys-recall-notice.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.net.)

Several readers have shared how their animal companions express their affection. I'll share their accounts over the next two days.

DEAR DR. FOX: We have two 1-year-old kittens, and we love them so much. The black and white tabby with half a mustache (Annastasha) is madly in love with me. She climbs onto my chest while I am lying down and rubs her face all over my face and kisses me all over my face. I kiss her back, all over her head and back and tummy, and she loves it. She sleeps near my feet at the end of the bed or next to me, spooning me. She hears our car going up the driveway and waits for us at the front door. She's a total love bug, and we pick her up all the time and love all over her and tell her how beautiful she is -- it's the best!

The other cat is a Maine coon. He pumps my wife's breasts and drools on her. He catches mice and leaves them dead beside my wife's side of the bed. He loves it when my wife picks him up, rests him over her shoulder like a baby and walks around the house with him. He just hangs there, his front paws hanging down and his tail totally still. It's crazy, but he loves her so much. Then he'll come up to me and roll over, exposing his tummy and letting me rub him while he does his light bunny-feet routine.

I have rabbits who will groom me from head to toe. And I massage them and love on them while they grind away.

I do believe that the more you love on your pets, the more they will love on you. It needs to start early, although I am sure there are certain exceptions. But we consistently talk to our pets and hold and kiss them, and I think that goes a long way with them feeling good about us, too. -- S.N., Alexandria, Virginia

DEAR S.N.: Beware of the cat who flops on one side for tummy touches. This attention-seeking display, as with one of our cats, can mean they get stepped on and injured or you injure yourself trying to avoid the same.

Happy rabbits have a tooth-grinding display of contentment.

DEAR DR. FOX: I have a rescue cat, approximately 12 years old. Shelby had been living in the bottom of a three-tiered cage, in a corner of the shelter, for close to two years. She took to my son immediately. She has the sweetest disposition. Over the past several months, she tucks me into bed at night. She lies partially on the pillow next to me and places a paw on my cheek or head. Once she senses a change in my breathing, she nestles herself at the foot of the bed. What a lovely way to fall asleep at night! -- B.M., Wappingers Falls, New York

DEAR B.M.: Two years in a cage, and still her spirit, thanks to you and your son, has not been severely harmed.

Shelby does sound like one of those angels in fur who enters the human realm. She was treated cruelly or suffered deeply in some way, and yet she can still show love and affection toward you. It would be anthropomorphizing to say that animals "forgive," or give "unconditional love." Rather, where there is a sense of security and no fear, their affectionate, loving, nurturing, protective and playful natures surface.

Some people refuse to believe that animals have such qualities or virtues. In the process of such denial -- often self-serving -- people risk extinguishing these finer attributes in themselves unless they are awakened by some particular experience with an animal that makes them more sensitive and empathic. Hunters, for instance, have laid down their weapons, and trappers their tools, after seeing how the mate or parent of the bird or beast they harmed and killed responded in evident grief, like the gander falling protectively over his lifelong goose-mate. I like the story of the bobcat who approached and then collapsed beside two mountain skiers who took the suffering animal to the nearest veterinary hospital to have porcupine quills removed from his face, mouth and paws. This human help-seeking wild cat was later released into his domain after intensive and dedicated veterinary care.

Cats and other animals can be our relaxers and healers, lowering blood pressure and cortisol levels. So many millions of animals help the blind, deaf, paraplegic and sufferers of post-traumatic stress disorder and loneliness. They alert us to and even rescue us from danger, alert us when we need certain medications, and guard us against seizures and diabetic ketoacidosis. They help children learn to read and become more empathic, and even have better immune systems.

As we come to realize how animals have served and benefited us for countless generations, I am glad to see more people supporting animal and environmental protection organizations and political initiatives. Another upside is more people becoming vegetarians or eating less meat and supporting humane and organic farming practices.

SUMMER HOT DOG COAT ISSUE

Shaving dogs' coats in summer months does them a disservice as the fur actually protects them by preventing heat from getting to their skin. It acts like the insulation around a thermos flask, keeping the internal temperature constant. The groomers who give in to pressure to shave dogs' coats are acceding to demands of customers who think they are helping their dogs by shaving them. Keep the coats on, and keep them dry after bathing or spraying to cool off.

As for dogs left in hot vehicles, that is a felony cruelty, and dogs working or playing outdoors need plenty of drinking water.

(Send all mail to animaldocfox@gmail.com or to Dr. Michael Fox in care of Universal Uclick, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106. The volume of mail received prohibits personal replies, but questions and comments of general interest will be discussed in future columns.

Visit Dr. Fox's website at DrFoxVet.net.)